alpress



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E, A. ALPRESS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING HOOKS.

- No. 250,329. Patented Deo. 6,1881.

v v A i4 e f l a l B IE-. 'I Il d"` um A N A l Wink e (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. A. ALPRB'SS. MACHINE lFOR MAKING H GOKS.

Patented Dec.l6, 1881.

Unire STATES PATENT .Ferca EDWARD A. ALPRESS, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, 'ASSIGNOR TO LANDERS, FRARY & CLARK, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING HOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of VLetters Patent No. 250,329, dated December 6, 1881.

' Applicationnld Jn1y14,1ss1. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. ALPREss, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Machines for Making Screw- Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure l, a top view; Fig. 2, a front view; Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, detached views.

This invention relates 4to the construction of a machine for the manufacture of that class of hooks made from wire commonly called screw-hooks," the object being to feed the wire from the reel upon the w`o'rk cut the required lengths and bend to shape; and the invention consists in the mechanism hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the bed of the machine, on which the operative mechanism is arranged; B, the main shaft, which is arranged in suitable bearings, B', and caused to revolve by the application of power thereto through a pulley, C, on a countershaft, C', or otherwise. The wire is drawn from the reel through any suitable straightening device to the feed,which will deliver to the machine the requisite length for a single hook. As here represented, this feed consists of a slide, D, arranged on a guido, D', for longitudinal movement, and to this slide a lever, D2, is hinged, as at d, the lever extending forward aud beneath a cam, D3, on a transverse shaft, D4, which is caused to revolve by bevel-gear D5 on the driving-shaft working a corresponding pinion, D6, on the shaft D4, the said cam D3 being of the shape shown, and so that at the required time the lever D2 is depressed so as to make a forced gripe upon the wire between a pair of j aws a b, the one on the lever the other on the slide D, the slide standing at its extreme rear position, as seen in Fig. 1. As soon as this gripe is made the second cam, D", ou the shaft D* engages the lever or the slide, and draws the feed with the wire it has grasped forward the distance required to give the length for a single hook; then the cam D'I escapes from the lever or slide, and the cam D3 permits the lever D2 to release its grasp; then a spring or other device returns the feed for a new hold. This feed is a well-known device, and While preferred for this class of work other feeding mechanism may be substituted, it only being essential that there shall be in the machine a feeding device which will draw in the requisite length of wire for a single hook. As soon as the wire has advanced the required distance for a single hook, a clamp, E, is, by the action of a cam, E', brought to bear upon the wire so as to gripe and securely hold it, so that the feed may return without withdrawing the wire, and so that the Wire may be held for the pointing operation. The broken line o, Figs. l and 2, indicates the wire.

The pointing device is arranged upon alongitudinal carriage, F, so as to move in a line with the wire which is introduced. Itis caused thus to move in one direction by means of a cam, F', on the driving-shaft through a lever, F2, a spring, F3, operating to move the carriagein the opposite direction. Onthiscarriage, in suitable bearings, F4, the pointer-spindle F5 is arranged to revolve rapidly by the application of power thereto through a pulley, F6. The pointing device is shown detached in enlarged side view, Fig. 4, and end View, Fig. 5. It consists of a head, F7, of frustum of cone shape, with two or more longitudinal grooves to receive cutters f, the grooves corresponding, so that the cutters come together at the forward end where they project from the head, as seen in Fig. 4, their edges coming together at the center, as seen in Fig. 5, the projecting parts of the cutters are ground so as to present an inclination or shape the reverse of the shape of the point to be out, as seen in Fig. 4. The projecting edges are ground to cut, as seen in Fig.5,so that as they pass on to the wire by forward movement of the carriage F they will reduce the end ofthe wire and properly shape the point.' The cutters projecting from the head leave an opening between them forthe freeintroduction ofoil or water, as the case may be, lubricating the cutters during their work. The cutters are adjusted longitudinally by means of set screws, F8, in rear of each cutter, as seen in Fig. 4, so that they may be forced forward as occasion may require, and are also radially set by the screws f.

As the cutter runs rapidly, it would naturally throw the chips or lubricating or cooling material to other parts of the machine, where it would interfere with the proper Working of the machine. To avoid this difficulty, I provide a cap, F9, made fast to the carriage, which carries the cutter, and so as to inclose the cutter-head except from below, where it is left open, as seen in Fig. 7, so that the chips, water, or whatever it may be, will passdirectly from the cutters or cutter-head downward away from the machine, without interfering with any other parts. After the pointer has been advanced, to properly shape the end ofthe wire, it retreats by the return of the carriage F, leaving the wire in front ofthe former H, (see Fig.8 enlarged,) which is rigidly secured to the bed ofthe machine, so as to be able to withstand the force of bending the hook. So soon as the pointing is accomplished, a cutter, l, is advanced to cut off the required length. This cutter is attached to the slide L, which is actuated by a cam, L', on the driving-shaft, the cutbeing produced in the usual manner for this class of machinestoo well known to require further description. To the same slide L the bending-fingers n n are hinged, as at n. They are held apart or open by a spring, n2, against shoulders n3 on theslide L, and directly in line with the former H that is, one each side of the former-the wire between the fingers and the former. At the time the length is cut from the wire, the lingers have advanced by the movement of the slide L so as to force the wire against the end of the former H, and then, advancing, bend the wire over the former, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 8. Then, in order to give the back bend, to bring the body of the hook into the central line, and to give the curvature to the point, the fingers a n each engage auxiliary lingers m, which are hinged to the bed each side the former, as at m', but above the former, or high enough to pass over the blank, as seen in Fig. 6, and so that as the end of the fingers a strike the end of the auxiliary fingers m m and continue their forward movement the lingers n a are forced inward, as seen in Fig. 9, and make the short bends, the one on the back of the hook and the other on the point; then when the ngersunreturn the iin gers mm will be thrown back by the springs m2 m2, and the hook will fall from the former. The reaction of the wire caused by its own elasticity after it is released from the benders is sufficient to relieve the hook from its grasp upon the former due to the bending operation, and the parts be ready to make a second hook. The wire is thus fed in and the operation repeated. The slide L is moved by the cam L acting upon a bar, L2, which is hinged to the slide L, and extends back so as to lie upon the surface of the cam L until the projection l comes against the end of the bar, as seen in Fig. 6; then that projection will force the bar and the carriage forward, as before described, and until the work of the fingers is completed; then the projection l will escape from the end of the bar. The nose of the bar, which projects from the shoulder and below the part or projection of the cam, strikes the back of the projection on the cam, and as the cam revolves, this nose serves to draw the shoulder from the cam and permit the return of the slide by a spring, L3, or otherwise. That the projection Z may thus escape, a shoulder, l2, is formed on the end of the bar, so that the back of the projection l will tend to throw the bar off from that shoulder at the proper time.

By this machine the wire is received, the blank cut to the required length, pointed, and bent to the shape complete, and discharged from the machine automatically.

The shape of the point of the hook may be conical or otherwise, it only being necessary that the cutters shall be ground to the reverse shape of point to be produced.

I claim- 1. The pointer consisting of the coneshaped head F7, with longitudinal grooves in its surface inclined to the axis of the head, and cutters ff, arranged therein and i ingly inclined t t u at the smaller endofLt-lrelead, and projecting from said end, their adjacent edges shaped to cut the point and leave an open space between the cutters, substantially as described.

2. In a hook-making machine, the combination of the stationary former H, the bendinglingers u a, and auxiliary iingers m m, said auxiliary tingers hinged, one on each side of the former, to swing in a plane parallel with the plane of the bending-ingers, and with which the free end of the bending-lingers engage during the last part of their forward movement, whereby the said bending-lingers are forced inward to make the back and round bends, substantially as described.

3. In a hook-making machine, the combination of the stationary former, the bending-fingers hung upon aslide, L, and the bar L2 hinged to said slide, its free end constructed with a shoulder, Z2, and against which the cam will act to not only force the said slide forward, but also to force the bar from engagement with the cam to permit the return of the slide, substantially as described.

4. In a hook-making machine, the combination of a feed mechanism to deliver the requisite length of wire, a pointer, substantially such as described, to shape the point of the hook, arranged upon a longitudinal sliding carriage, a stationary former, a pair of bendingiingers arranged to turn the blank around the IIO former, and auxiliary ngers arranged to engage the bending-fingers and turn them inward, substantialbr as described.

5. In a hook-making machine, the combina- 5 tion of a feed mechanism to deliver Iche requisitelength ofwire, a pointer, substantially such as described, to shape -the point ofi-the hook,A

arranged upon a longitudinal sliding carriage, a cap, F9, to inclose said pointer, attached to said carriage, a stationary former, a pair of ro bending-fingers arranged to turn the blank around the former, and auxiliary ngers arranged to engage the bending-fingers and turn. them inward, substantially as described.

EDWARD A. ALPB'ESS. Witnesses:

C. S. LANDERS, GEO. D. OOPLEY. 

